Visit a picturesque historic granary at Chmielna 53 in Gdańsk. It houses a branch of the Archaeological Museum in Gdańsk.

WHAT IS THERE TO SEE?

There are fascinating, interactive exhibitions to visit. You can touch the exhibits, try on our garments and even take part in a mini excavation works. Moreover, you can use numerous multimedia resources, such as films or computer presentations. Through the smells and sounds of a reconstructed street of medieval Gdańsk you can even experience the feeling of travelling back in time.

Our exhibitions

"A city under a city" is an exhibition presenting the results of long-term archaeological surveys conducted in Gdańsk, the nature of field works and the reconstruction methods of conditions present in the old Gdańsk, as well as the appearance of the former residents of the city.

"Medieval Hanseatic street" is a reconstruction project of a Hanseatic League city street from the turn of the 14th and 15th century with workshops, stalls and a bath.

"Gdańsk in the world of the Hanseatic League" is an exhibition presenting archaeological monuments obtained during excavation works in the historic part of the city, showing the status of Gdańsk as a trade city, as well as everyday life of its residents from the late medieval times to the 19th century.

"The Granaries Island in Gdańsk" is an exhibition devoted to the history of the Granaries Island and on-site surveys conducted by archaeologists.

Museum open to all

Visit us. Our facilities meet the needs of people with disabilities. The museum building was adapted both to the needs of people with reduced mobility (an elevator, toilet for the disabled), as well as for the blind and partially sighted. Groups of people with disabilities, both children and adults, are welcomed to use our educational offer. Classes and tours shall meet your needs. Moreover, we would be grateful for any feedback so that we can introduce further adjustments to improve the comfort of our visitors.Contact us via phone at: (58) 320-31-88.

THE "BLUE LAMB" GRANARY

The branch at Chmielna is something far more than just exhibitions themselves. The building, which houses the museum, is a tourist attraction itself. It is a historic granary called the "Blue Lamb" whose origins date back to the 16th century when the first storage house was erected here...

How the granary has changed in the course of time

Originally it was a Gothic brick construction (classical type of hand-formed brick), accessible through Chmielna and the pier of Motława River. A list from 1620 contains the width of the warehouse, which was 48 feet (13.8 m). What is interesting is that it has not changed at all.The records of 1631 contain the first mention of its German name that is "Blaue Lamm" ("Blue Lamb"). In the course of centuries another name came into existence; probably a result of misspelling. The second name was "Blaue Löwe" (Blue Lion).

In 1779 the building was remodelled using a new type of brick called the Dutch brick. The remodelling involved erecting gable walls (that is triangle walls crowning the construction) from the street and the Motława River. The new facility comprised a number of wooden ceilings creating as many as seven storeys to store goods.

The grain stored there was carried into the building through wide gates. Three such gates were constructed on the ground floor from the river side, and another three, exactly opposite, accessible through the street. Therefore, unloading of goods was efficient and simultaneous work performed by many porters did not cause any interruptions.

The cargo was transported to higher storeys with the use of special interior lifts. The people working at the granary could get there only by ascending steep, ladder stairs. However, there were openings in the floors to pour dried grain to lower storeys.

In the 19th century, an additional lift was installed from the river side of the building. Its remnants are still visible on the western facade of the building. In the 20th century a brick staircase connecting all floors was constructed at the north wall.

During a siege of the city by the Russian army in October 1813 the granary was destroyed but people managed to rebuild it. In 1854, its owner was Karol Wilhelm Uphagen, a great-nephew of Jan Uphagen, the owner of a famous tenement house at ul. Długa 12.

After Gdańsk was bombarded by the Soviet army in 1945, the "Blue Lamb" granary remained as the only historical storage building on the Granaries Island, with not only its facade, that is the front wall of the construction, but also the interior (entablature and construction of ceilings) retained.

During the inter-war period the granary was used as an herbs warehouse by Herbapol. Then, for many subsequent years it remained empty.

Despite the fact that from 1967 the building was under conservatory protection, no restoration or renovation works had been conducted. The building gradually deteriorated. Slowly the ceilings cracked so new beams were used to support them. When a lightning struck the building its timber roof truss (wooden skeleton of the roof) caught fire and burnt down, and the interior, not protected against adverse weather conditions, was subject to moisture and fungus growth.

The "Blue Lamb" Granary under the Museum care

The Archaeological Museum in Gdańsk, as a Voivodeship local cultural institution, took over the building in 1995 and since then, depending on the availability of funds, it has been undertaking actions aimed at preserving the historic granary.

Between 1995 and 2008 necessary research and design works were carried out, the foundations were strengthen and the wooden supporting structure of the building, the timber roof truss and roofing underwent repairs. Furthermore, conservation works of brick facades and fitting out works to adopt the building to new exhibition activities have also been carried out.